Every woman has that other woman. You know, that one woman who just makes you feel totally and completely inadequate. That girl who is cooler, more stylish and more beautiful than you. For many women (or at least, for myself) that woman is definitely Jemima Kirke.
One of the stars of HBO’s “Girls”, what killed most of us is that Jemima wasn’t just playing a character, she was her character. The daughter of a rock and roll drummer and vintage boutique owner in New York City that supplied a number of outfits for the television series “Sex and the City,” by the time Kirke was 10, her life was better and cooler than mine would ever be.
And the thing is, Jemima could let you keep thinking that. It’s so easy. She could keep wearing cool outfits, appear in amazing television series and let you believe she was the luckiest girl in the world. But that’s just not true.
In a rare interview with StyleLikeU, the star opens up about her life. She opens up about her constant state of unhappiness and discontent. Her problems in her marriage. Her regret having children so young. For many, it’s a moment of understanding and empathy with a woman you thought you’d never feel anything other than jealousy towards.
“I’m just a very dissatisfied person. I have moments of feeling empty. Moments — All the time. And sometimes you just get exhausted. It’s like, I can’t keep searching for this. Again, I thought I’d gotten somewhere. I thought I’d realized something. I thought I’d changed. But yet you’re still not happy.”
“I used to think freedom was not being attached to anything. I’ve been working on redefining that.”
“You can still be free when people love you.”
“Alone meant freedom.”
“When I’m beating myself up about something, it’s either from something I did in the past, or something that has not happened yet, or that I want to do and already failed in my mind. But I’m never where I need to be. I’m always doing something wrong based on the past and the future.”
“I’m trying to stay present.”
“I’m fucking lucky. I’m healthy and I’m white. I have some money. And I’m on a TV show. I have a lot of luxury to do what I want to do. Everything that burdens me is really in here. I don’t have the obstacles that a lot of other people have. I do get really unhappy, but I have the floor. I really have the floor to do what I want when I’m ready. So it is a good place to be.”
Megan
This was so powerful. I can’t say enough how much this helped me today…as a woman, as an expectant and unsure mother, as deeply flawed human. Thank you Jemima.
Lucy
Love this! Thank you–this idea that we can trap ourselves on purpose and then feel allergic to being trapped.
Moni
How I feel every day.
Jen
This was so rad to watch! So exposed and exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you Jemima and to every woman out there that lives in her head and wants out asap!